The Brainy Moms

• Raising Career-Ready Kids | Dr. Tega Edwin

  What if helping your kid find “the right career” starts with removing the pressure to choose one? On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, Dr. Amy and Sandy sit down with counselor and career coach Dr. Tega Edwin to rethink how families approach work, college, and the messy middle in between. From fifth-grade classrooms to college advising offices, she’s seen how early biases about gender and prestige quietly close doors—and how simple exposure to real people in diverse roles opens them again.We unpack a practical roadmap: start with exploration in childhood, not decisions; move into skill-building and option-finding in the teen years; and treat careers as fluid expressions of who we are, not final destinations. Dr. Tega shares classroom-tested ideas that make pathways tangible. For parents guiding older teens, we dig into smarter college strategy—sampling classes, staying undeclared when helpful, using career services early, and avoiding the debt spiral of constant major changes. You’ll also hear how to translate any degree into marketable skills, and why “What Can I Do With This Major?” belongs in every family’s toolbox.Money worries fuel career fear, so we go straight at financial literacy: budgeting, saving, and investing as the bedrock of freedom to explore. We talk about leveraging your network for shadowing, coaching social skills for the workplace, and turning part-time jobs into lessons in EQ, advocacy, and professionalism. And when a dream is blocked—by health, academics, or reality—we talk about redirecting it without crushing it, honoring the spirit behind the goal. Along the way, we challenge parents to audit their own beliefs about work, because kids learn from what we model, not just what we say.If you’re ready to replace anxiety with clarity and give your kids tools to pivot with purpose, hit play. Subscribe, share this episode with a friend who’s stressing about career and majors, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway so more families can find it.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: [email protected] Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

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• From Cancel Culture to Kitchen Tables: A Parenting, Family Values, and Weight Loss Discussion with Matty Lansdown

  The temperature of public disagreement feels scorching—and that heat is seeping into our homes. We dig into what it means to hold strong convictions while still honoring people, then connect that idea to everyday parenting: how we talk with our kids, how we set boundaries without shaming, and how we handle it when we don't agree. From there, we pull back the curtain on the forces shaping our families—peer culture, dopamine-driven feeds, and convenience foods designed to hijack attention and appetite—and lay out a calmer path forward.Joined by our favorite nutrition scientist (and new dad) Matty Lansdown, now rebranded as The Real Weight Loss Coach, we walk through why root-cause health beats quick fixes. Matty talks GLP-1 medications with clear eyes—acknowledging potential benefits while naming real side effects and the risk of unresolved binge cycles—and then outlines an alternative: nervous system safety first, sleep and stress dialed in, ingredients-first meals, strength training for muscle and metabolism, and low-risk natural experiments that respect bioindividuality. Matty’s core message is simple and radical: the body keeps the score, and lasting change begins when we feel safe enough to choose differently.We also take on the tricky question of teens and weight. Instead of aesthetic pressure, we focus on health markers, modeling, and the quiet power of the “ingredients household.” Device-free dinners, predictable rituals, and parent-led example set the tone even when teens detour. And throughout, we return to one big takeaway: honor family values, do less, do it better. Presence lowers cortisol, steadies cravings, and makes healthy choices feel possible in real life.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: [email protected] Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

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• Your Child Deserves a Learning Path as Unique as They Are | Matt Bowman

  Homeschooling or thinking about it? Wondering if 'open education' is right for your homeschooled child? What if everything we thought we knew about education was designed for a world that no longer exists? Matt Bowman, founder of OpenEd and international bestselling author, joins Dr. Amy and Sandy on this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast to challenge the foundations of traditional education and offer a refreshingly practical alternative for today's families who are homeschooling or even considering it. After watching all five of his children develop in completely different ways despite growing up in the same household, Matt realized that education shouldn't be one-size-fits-all—it should be as unique as each child.The conversation dives deep into why standard education often fails to meet individual needs. Matt explains how our current system was originally modeled after military training methods imported from Europe over 200 years ago—designed to produce obedient soldiers rather than creative, independent thinkers. This standardization approach stands in stark contrast to how children actually learn and develop."The real tragedy," Matt shares, "is that this system not only fails to measure what matters in education—creativity, continuous progress, critical thinking, skill development—it actively works against it." For parents whose children are struggling, unhappy, or just not thriving, Matt offers a revolutionary yet simple starting point: take two weeks to try something different. Give your child space to explore their interests without pressure, and watch what naturally emerges.One of the most powerful insights Matt shares is reframing our understanding of failure. While traditional education treats failure as something to avoid at all costs, successful athletes, musicians, and entrepreneurs embrace it as essential to growth. Teaching children to see challenges as "not yet" rather than failure fundamentally transforms their relationship with learning.With AI rapidly changing our economic landscape, the skills that matter most aren't standardized test scores but creativity, adaptability, and entrepreneurial thinking. Matt encourages parents to tap into community resources—museums, local businesses, nature, arts programs—and integrate them into core education rather than treating them as mere enrichment.For families ready to explore alternatives, Matt reminds us that small changes can make an enormous difference. Whether it's adjusting schedules, exploring interests, or incorporating entrepreneurship, the goal isn't to replicate school at home but to create learning experiences that honor each child's unique path.Join us to get inspired about personalizing an education that works for your unique child.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: [email protected] Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

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• Present, Not Perfect: How to Support Your Teen's Mental Health Journey | Jenn Robb

  When your child is drowning in mental health struggles, the weight of helplessness can feel crushing. Where do you turn? How do you fight a battle you can't even see? Nurse practitioner and author Jen Robb knows this battlefield intimately. On this episode of The Brainy Moms Podcast, she tells Dr. Amy all about it. "We were the white picket fence, typical all-American kind of family," Jenn shares, describing how her daughter Chloe's mental health crisis blindsided their family. Like many parents, Jen initially retreated into silence, carrying the burden alone rather than risking judgment from others. That isolation nearly broke her.Through raw vulnerability and faith-filled wisdom, Jenn guides listeners through the transformative journey from silent suffering to empowered advocacy. She challenges the notion that doctors always know best, encouraging parents to respectfully question treatment plans and seek providers who address root causes rather than simply medicating symptoms. "Your child doesn't have a voice in that circumstance," she reminds us. "No one is going to fight as hard for your child as you will."The path forward isn't about perfection but presence. Jenn's powerful reminder that "your child doesn't need a perfect mom; they need a present mom" liberates parents from impossible standards while focusing on what truly matters – showing up emotionally and physically while allowing children space to feel their feelings. This delicate balance requires setting healthy boundaries not just for our children, but for ourselves as parents.Perhaps most profound is Jenn's perspective on surrender. After a terrifying incident where Chloe was hospitalized with alcohol poisoning, Jenn describes hearing God whisper, "As much as you love her, I love her more." This spiritual surrender didn't mean abandoning responsibility, but rather acknowledging her limitations and finding strength beyond herself.Whether you're currently navigating teen mental health challenges or simply want to be prepared, Jenn's practical wisdom on supporting brain health through technology boundaries, sleep hygiene, and proper nutrition offers valuable tools for every family. Connect with Jenn's supportive community at warriormomcoach.net and discover how to become the warrior your child needs during their darkest battles.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: [email protected] Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

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• Balancing Busy: Time Management Secrets for Working Moms

  Ever feel like you're failing at work if you don't give 110%, and failing at home if you try? You're not alone in this impossible balancing act.In this conversation between Dr. Amy and returning guest Leah Remillet, balance strategist and host of the Balancing Busy podcast, they tackle the myth of perfect balance head-on. Leah redefines balance not as equal attention to everything, but as "being true to what actually matters to us—not what we're being told matters." This perspective shift alone can liberate working moms from unnecessary guilt and perfectionism.What makes this episode particularly powerful are the personal stories Leah and Dr. Amy share about their perceived "failures" that unexpectedly became their children's greatest lessons. Leah worried about delegating household tasks to her kids, only to discover years later that her daughter was grateful for the confidence these responsibilities built. Similarly, Dr. Amy's health limitations meant her husband handled most household duties—inadvertently teaching their sons that household work isn't gender-based, but determined by capacity.We dive deep into Leah's practical "10 Simple Tweaks" for busy moms, exploring everything from limiting screen time and batching similar tasks to outsourcing what drains you and scheduling actual "recess" time for yourself. The science is clear: those intentional breaks make you more productive, not less, by reducing cortisol and preventing mental fatigue.Whether you're drowning in to-dos or simply tired of feeling pulled in too many directions, this conversation offers both permission to simplify and practical strategies to reclaim your time and energy. Your worth isn't measured by how busy you are—and this might be the most important lesson you model for your children.Ready to do less but better? Listen now and discover how true balance starts with being unapologetic about what matters most to you.ABOUT US:The Brainy Moms is a parenting podcast hosted by cognitive psychologist Dr. Amy Moore. Dr. Amy and her co-hosts have conversations with experts in parenting, child development, education, psychology, mental health, and neuroscience. Listeners leave with tips and advice for helping moms and kids thrive in life, learning, and relationships. If you love us, add us to your playlist! CONNECT WITH US:Website: www.TheBrainyMoms.com Email: [email protected] Social Media: @TheBrainyMoms Visit our sponsor's website: www.LearningRx.com

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